The largest exchange-traded fund to track the biotechnology sector rallied on Thursday, moving in its biggest one-day percentage pop since June as it hit levels not seen since early 2016. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF jumped 2.3% to $331.62, and earlier rose as high as $333.30. That represented the highest level for the fund since the last trading day of 2015, according to FactSet data. The ETF has been a strong performer of late. Thursday is set to be its fourth straight daily increase; for the week it is up 6.6%, on pace for its biggest weekly gain since June. Among the fund's biggest gainers, Biogen Inc. added 3.9% while BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. was up 2.2% and Gilead Sciences added 2.1%.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq seeing a particular gain on the strength of biotechnology companies, while the S&P 500 closed higher for a fourth straight session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 25 points, or 0.1%, to 21,890. The S&P 500 added 11 points to 2,457, a gain of 0.5%. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 66 points to 6,368, a rise of 1.1%. The biotechnology sector was one of the strongest of the day, with the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF up 1.9%, boosted by Gilead Sciences , which surged 7.3%, and Incyte Corp. , up 10.6%. Markets were also supported by strong economic data, including better-than-expected reads on economic growth and private-sector employment. The Dow was pressured by Travelers Companies Inc. , which fell 1%, and by Verizon Communications , which was off 0.8%.

Biotechnology stocks rallied on Wednesday, with one of the biggest exchange-traded funds dedicated to the sector on track for its third straight daily advance. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF gained 1.3%, bringing its week-to-date rise to 3.6%. Among the biggest gainers in the sector, Gilead Sciences Inc. popped 5.6%, bringing its gain over the past three months to 23.7%. The stock is on track for its largest percentage gain since November, as well as its highest close since September 2016. Separately, Incyte Corp. added 4.5% while BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. advanced 4.8%. Biogen Inc. gained 2.4% while Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. was up 2%. On the downside within the pharmaceutical sector, U.S.-listed shares of Novartis AG were down 1%. The company's CAR-T cell therapy was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, making it the first gene therapy to be available in the U.S.

After news of Gilead Sciences Inc.'s about $11 billion acquisition of Kite Pharma Inc. , Juno Therapeutics Inc. shares surged 16.3%, Bluebird Bio Inc. shares surged 9.7% and Cellectis SA ADR shares surged 11.8% in extremely heavy midday trade Monday. The Kite Pharma acquisition marks a large investment by Gilead into a cancer treatment called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR-T, which uses a patient's immune T-cells and re-engineers them to better fight cancer. Juno, Bluebird and Cellectis are other biotech companies working in CAR-T. BTIF analyst Dane Leone upgraded Juno on Monday, adding, "we continue to be skeptical of JUNO's current competitive positioning, but upgrade our ranking to Neutral from Sell, as there is not a near term catalyst to offset the positive tailwind for the entire CAR T space." Though there has been speculation about Celgene -- which owns about 10% of Juno's current shares outstanding -- acquiring Juno, "we would be surprised" by a full acquisition, Leone said, since "at this juncture with emerging overlap in Multiple Myeloma and third to market status in CD19 hematological malignancies, we struggle to find a rationale for Celgene wanting to fully own Juno." Kite Pharma shares surged 28% in extremely heavy morning trade. Shares have surged 144% over the last three months, compared with a 1% rise in the S&P 500 .

Gilead Sciences Inc. has agreed to pay about $11 billion for Kite Pharma Inc. and its promising new technology for harnessing the body's immune system to fight cancer. Gilead will pay $180 a share, representing a 29% premium over Kite's closing price Friday. The all-cash deal would give Gilead a foothold in a new type of personalized treatment that doctors say could save patients with the most dire cases of cancer and analysts estimate would ring up billions of dollars in sales.

Aug. 28, 2017 at 8:27 a.m. ET

by MarketWatch.com

Kite Pharma up 16% premarket after report of $11 billion buyout by Gilead

Kite Pharma up 16% premarket after report of $11 billion buyout by Gilead

Gilead Sciences Inc. has agreed to pay about $11 billion for Kite Pharma Inc. and its promising new technology for harnessing the body's immune system to fight cancer, according to people familiar with the matter.

United Therapeutics Corp. shares surged 8.7% premarket on Friday after a news report suggested that major pharmaceutical companies were weighing a bid for it. The Evening Standard report said that Gilead Sciences Inc. is considered the frontrunner, while GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Novartis AG are also possible contenders. Glaxo and United Therapeutics declined to comment to the Evening Standard. United Therapeutic, which was founded by Martine Rothblatt, a co-founder of Sirius XM , currently has five products on the market, four of which treat pulmonary arterial hypertension; the fifth is intended for pediatric cancer patients. United Therapeutics shares have dropped 11.5% year-to-date, compared with a 10.4% rise in the S&P 500 .

Gilead shares up 1.9% premarket

Gilead Sciences Inc. shares rose in the extended session Wednesday after the biotech drug maker topped Wall Street estimates for the quarter. Gilead shares rose 2.6% to $76.10 after hours. The company reported second-quarter net income of $3.37 billion, or $2.33 a share, compared to $4.18 billion, or $2.58 a share, in the year-ago period. Second-quarter adjusted earnings were $2.56 a share. Revenue fell to $7.14 billion from $7.78 billion in the year ago period. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had estimated adjusted earnings of $2.29 a share on revenue of $6.33 billion. For the full year, Gilead estimates revenue of $24 billion to $25.5 billion. Analysts had forecast revenue of $24.65 billion.

A topsy-turvy August has reached its end. The Nasdaq rallied, extending a record streak that was earlier in jeopardy. Volatility re-emerged, and the energy sector’s slump deepened as Harvey dealt the Gulf Coast a heavy blow.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its kind cancer therapy aimed at bolstering a patient’s own immune cells, while the drugmaker behind the treatment attempted to allay worry over the high cost of the procedure.

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